Profiled tire tread

Abstract

A precured tire tread for use in retreading tires contoured to have a flat road-contacting tread surface when applied to the casing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tire tread for retreading a tire casing, comprising, an elongated body portion of cured material having:   a bonding surface adapted for bonding to a tire casing, and   a road contacting surface adapted to engage a road, said road contacting surface being oppositely disposed and spaced apart from said bonding surface and being concave in transverse cross-sectional profile so as to resistingly assume a generally flat cross-sectional profile when said bonding surface is bonded to a tire casing.   
     
     
       2. The device of claim 3 further comprising a pair of oppositely disposed spaced apart side surfaces connecting said road contacting surface and said bonding surface wherein the thickness of said tire tread between said road contacting surface and said bonding surface increases in graduation from the longitudinal center of said tire tread to said side surfaces. 
     
     
       3. The device of claim 1 for retreading a tire casing having a curved transverse cross-sectional profile, comprising, said bonding surface being generally flat in transverse cross-sectional profile so as to resistingly assume a curve transverse cross-sectional profile when said bonding surface is bonded to a tire casing.   
     
     
       4. The device of claim 3 wherein said bonding surface assumes the curved transverse cross-sectional profile of a tire casing when said bonding surface is bonded directly to the tire casing. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 3 wherein: said bonding surface has a pair of oppositely disposed spaced apart longitudinal edges,   said road contacting surface has a pair of oppositely disposed spaced apart longitudinal edges, and   first and second oppositely disposed spaced apart side surfaces connect said respective longitudinal edges of said road contacting surface and said bonding surface with said first side surface extending from said bonding surface to said road contacting surface in inclined disposition toward said second side surface.   
     
     
       6. The device of claim 5 wherein said second side surface extends from said bonding surface to said road contacting surface in inclined disposition toward said first side surface. 
     
     
       7. The device of claim 3 for retreading a tire casing having a curved transverse cross-sectional profile of predetermined radius of curvature wherein: said bonding surface resistingly assumes a curved cross-sectional profile of said predetermined radius of curvature when said bonding surface is bonded directly to a tire casing.   
     
     
       8. The device of claim 2 wherein said road contacting surface has a tread pattern formed therein. 
     
     
       9. In combination with a tire casing having a circumferential outer surface, a tire tread extending around said circumferential outer surface and comprising, an elongated body portion of cured material having,   a bonding surface bonded to said circumferential outer surface, and   a road contacting surface generally flat in transverse cross-sectional profile and tending to elastically assume a concave transverse cross-sectional profile, said road contacting surface being oppositely disposed and spaced apart from said bonding surface.   
     
     
       10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said tire casing has a curved cross-sectional profile and said bonding surface is generally curved in transverse cross-sectional profile and tends to elastically assume a generally flat cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
       11. The combination of claim 9 wherein: said tire casing has a curved cross-sectional profile,   said bonding surface has a pair of oppositely disposed spaced apart longitudinal edges,   said road contacting surface has a pair of oppositely disposed spaced apart longitudinal edges, and   first and second oppositely disposed spaced apart side surfaces connect said respective longitudinal edges of said road contacting surface and said bonding surface with said first side surface extending from said bonding surface to said road contact surface in inclined disposition toward said second side surface.   
     
     
       12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said second side surface extends from said bonding surface to said road contacting surface in inclined disposition toward said first side surface. 
     
     
       13. The combination of claim 9 wherein said road contacting surface comprises oppositely spaced apart edge portions elastically biased radially outward from said tire casing. 
     
     
       14. In combination with a tire casing having a circumferential outer surface, a tire tread extending around said circumferential outer surface and comprising, an elongated body portion of cured material having,   a bonding surface bonded to said circumferential outer surface, and   a road contacting surface oppositely disposed and spaced apart from said bonding surface, said road contacting surface having oppositely disposed longitudinal edge portions elastically biased radially outward from said tire casing.   
     
     
       15. A method for retreading a tire casing having a circumferential outer surface comprising, providing an elongated tire tread of cured material having a bonding surface, an oppositely disposed spaced apart road contacting surface of concave transverse cross-sectional profile, and oppositely disposed spaced apart side surfaces connecting said bonding surface and said road contacting surface,   wrapping said elongated tire tread circumferentially around said tire casing so said bonding surface faces said circumferential outer surface,   drawing said side surfaces around said casing so that said road contacting surface is generally flat in transverse cross-sectional profile, and bonding said tire tread to said casing.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15 wherein: the step of drawing said side surfaces around said casing comprises drawing said side surfaces so that said bonding surface conforms to the outer surface of said casing, and   the step of bonding comprises bonding said tire tread directly to said casing.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of: preparing the circumferential outer surface of said tire casing to a preselected transverse cross-sectional profile.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of: drawing said side surfaces comprises drawing said side surfaces around said casing so that the longitudinal edge portions of said road contacting surface are elastically biased radially outward from said casing.   
     
     
       19. A method for retreading a tire casing having a circumferential outer surface, comprising, providing an elongated tire tread of cured material having a bonding surface, an oppositely disposed spaced apart road contacting surface with oppositely disposed longitudinal edge portions, and oppositely disposed spaced apart side surfaces connecting said bonding surface and said road contacting surface,   wrapping said elongated tire tread circumferentially around said tire casing so said bonding surface faces said circumferential outer surface,   drawing said side surfaces around said casing so that said longitudinal edge portions of said road contacting surface are elastically biased radially outward from said tire casing, and   bonding said tire tread to said tire casing.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of: drawing said side surfaces further comprises drawing said side surfaces around said casing so that the longitudinal middle portion of said road contacting surface is elastically biased radially inward toward said tire casing.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 19 wherein bonding comprises bonding said tire tread directly to said tire casing.